Telegraph or like system and apparatus therefor.



s. a. swan. TELEGRAPH 0R LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR. APPLICATIONFILED FEE-B1916 a Patented; 0ct,1,1918.

s SHEETS-sash 1.

Fly.

s. msmm a, TELEGRAPH 0R LIKE SYSTEM MID APPARATUS THER EFOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7| l9l6- Patented 001-51, 1m.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2- S. R. SMHH. A TELEGR PH 0H UKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUSTHEREFOR.

v v APPLICATION FILED FEB. B 1916- LQ8G5Z QA Patented 0st. 1, 1918.

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

I WWW 1 m A 3.1a. SMITH; TELEGRAPH 0R LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUSTHEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, I916.

Patented Oct 1, 1918. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 Y s. R. SMITH.

TELEGRAPH 0R LIKE SYSTEM AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

' AFPFICATION FILED FEB- 71.1916: I 1 28Q,570 latenwl fiat 1, 1918.

ma am T alive/m it may concern:

SIDNEY REYNEIiL SMITH, 0F LIVERPQOL, ENGLAND.

TELEGRAPH on LIKE s'rszrma Be it known that I, SIDNEY REYNELL 1 V burn asub ect ot the hmgoi (Ireat Britain, residing at Liverpool, England,have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in or Relating toTelegraph or like Systems and Apparatus Therefor, of which a negativeand positive impulses. The dethe' following is a specification.

This invention relates to telegraplfsys: tems,' and more particularly tosignal stor' ing andtransmitting apparatils for use, for

i example, in keyboard printing telegraph systems. c The invention isfurther applicable tosystems in which 'a'single wire is or may beused'for the transmission of more than one. message at a time. One formof the invention will be described as applied, for ex- V ample, to asystei'n in which the different letters (ii-characters are eachtransmitted by a permutation of a fixed number of positive and negativeimpnlses. ln 'systems of this character it has heretofore been the usualpractice to employ at botlrthe sending and receiving stations what aretermed d1strib-.

uters moving in synchronism. These distribu't'ers have usiiallycomprised a'number of fixed contacts arranged in divisions or sets witha wipm conductor moving successively over the 1V1S1OI1S in order toconnect the contacts belonging to each keyboard at the-sending stationto the line at the same time that its corresponding apparatus at thereceiving end is placed in condition to receive the signal. When, insuch-an arrangement, the keys of the keyboard are connected directly toor directly control the contacts in the distributer, the speed at-"ployed certain storing means which the keyboard may be operated islimited by; the speed of the distributor because it is necessary for onesignal to be trans- .mitted beforedzhe. keyboard is operated for thenext lThel' have heretofore been emsuch as punched aper strips and thelike on which the signa s from the keyboard are recorded and thentransmitted to the distributor at the proper speed independentof thespeed 7 of operation of the keyboard.

.It is-an object of thisrinvention to provide eertaln im rovements 1nthe construction and operatlonof mechanically self-contrained storersfor this purposeand. prefer-- ably to construct and arrangev thesestorers in such amanner that'the signals of a plu-. rality of difierentjnessages ma be trans- Specification of Iiettcrs Patent.

a separate distributei'.

AND armaarns assesses.

v rarest-ea Oct. iars.

Application-filedl'sebruary 7,1916. Serial No. 76,638.

proper order, without the employmentlof V In the en'ibodimentvof theinvention described herein it isassumed that eachtelegraphic-characterise be transmitted is represented by a particularpermutation of five pression of any key in the keyboard is' instrumentalI in causing the corresponding signal to be set up on one of apluralityof groups of movable pins carried by a'pair of constantlyrotating disks. After a-group of IPIIIS hasbeen set it is carried past'a set of impulse springs and determines the pen mutation of impulses tobe sent to the line.

The members for setting the pinsare moved to a new group at eachoperation of the keyboard, and the keyboard may therefore be operatedquite independently'of the speed 'at which the characters aretransmitted to 5 Fig. 1 to show more clearly the v Fig. 6 is a,sectionalview of the main shafton the line 6"-6"Fig.'1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged'detail view, partly in section, of the escapement,mechanism.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of portions of the hammer carriage.

Fig. 10; shows the c1rcuit..e onneqti0ns oi the signal storer and. thekeyboard v terse .ciated therewith. Fig. 11 is a diagrammaticrepresentation of an arrangement of the invention suitable for workingwith a distributor and a '.plu-

ralityof transmitters. v

' Fig, '12 is a diagrammatic representation of the invention in whichanurnber oftrans- Y initters may be 'dIlVQD. from a common chart. Theconstruction and operation or the apparatus is as follows; deuma'led in'two standards 2 and 3, to a, base plate 1-,

is a rotatable shaft 5, to whicharefix'ednearj g3 nesdwo provided on itscircumference with gear teeth for gearing with a phonic wheel motor 5There is thus one pair of electrical contacts and 11 for each circularrow of pins, and

if a pin is in its alternate position as shown at 8 Fig. I when itpasses, it momentarily I lifts the spring 1 into contact with the screw10. Jimmediately after passing the spring ll the end of the pin strikesthe in clined end of a plate 12 and is forcedjhack to normal positionthereby. lins that are in normalposition as 8. do not sheet the springs11 as they are carried past by the rotating disks. f

The means by which the setting of the pins is efiected comprise fivehammers carried by a carriage which is freely rotatable on the shafth.This carriagecomprises a hollow shaft or tube 13 (Fig. 5) with endplates or flanges 14 and 15. Each hammer oomprises a knob or head 16carried by a bent arm 17 fixed to or forming an extension of an annularplate 18, which in turn is fixed to the end of two guide rods-l9 and20pass- 35 ing loosely through holes in" the end plates 14 and of thehammer carriage. Between the plates i land 15 there is fixed to the rods19 and 20 an annular plate 23,: Whicli' lies adjacent to the end of thearmature lever of en ele'ctromagnet 21. There is one hammer .with itsaccompanying electromagnet for" each circular row of pins. Each of thehammers is heldin its normal position by a small spring 22 (Fig. 1) but,when its so. magnet is energized, the engagement of its armature levelwith the plate forces the hammer to the left, thereby shifting the pinbefore which it is standing from the position- 8 (Fig. 1) to theposition 8*. e

In the idlg condition of the apparatus the hammer carriage istie-clutched from the shaft and remeins stationary riding idly thereon,but during the operation of the keyboard the carriage becomes clutchedto es the shaft and rotates therewith in a counterclockwise directionas-vlewed in Fig. 3, hut

upon, each operationof a key in the keyboard the carriage is steppedback one step in .a CIOCl CWISEdlIQClBlOII around the shaft.

Q4} The manner in which this is accomplished is as follows: Meshing withthe gear teeth on the edgeof the plate 15 is Lgem' wheel 24 (Fig. it)which is connected with asp-ring which tends to rotate the hammercarriage in s clockwise direction, but is normally pretwo pallets 29 and30 forming extensions from the ring 31, which is loosely mounted on apin 32 and connected by a link 33 with a pin 3i, which extends outthrough the end of the shaft and adjacent to the end of the armature ofthe electroi'nagnet 36. The hammer carriage is provided with a slidablepawl 37 (Fig. :2) which is normally held out of engagement'with theteeth in the scape ring by'thc engagementof the pin 38 with the lefthand face of the guide plate 2%),

which envelops approximately a quarter of the circumferenceof the shaft.

Before the beginning of each message the operator, by pressing astarting button on the keyboard energizes the starting magnet 26 whichremoves the end of its armature lever from the stop pin 25,. therebyfreeing the hammer carriage and permitting it to move under its springtension in a clockwise direction, until its pawl disengages itself fromthe end or" plate 39 whereupon the pawl slips into the teeth of thescape ring 27, thereby clutching the carriage with the shaft through themedium of the ring 27 and its scape lever. The hammercarriage now beginsto rotate with the shaft in a counter-clockwise direction, but on eachoperation of a key in the keyboard the mdgnet-fdfi is energizedoperating the scope lever t'o'permit the scape ring and hammer cnrria eto drop back one step in a. clockwise irection. I Above the magnetfifi(Fig. 2) there is shown a stationary commutator device comprising numberof segments 40 and a slip ring llyngaged by a pair of short eircnitingbrushes-carried by the gear wheel 24.

file construction of the apparatus having been explained, its mode ofoperation will now be described.

The keyboard for use with this device comprises five electrical contactsprings 42 (Fig. 10),, having both front and back contects -and adaptedto be operated in different combinations by each of the keys of thekeyboard in knownmanner. The front contact of each spring 42 isconnected to the Winding and the back contact to a contact of a relay43. The keyboard is provided 'with a. canceling key which operates allwhen depressed closes the springs ll?- and l? and mechanici'ally unlocksthe remaininc he -rs, which are locked by the energization of a lockingmagnet in known manner. lso

Fig. 10 is shown a portion of the segments and the slip ring ll of thecom inutatordevice. Qontact No. lis the contract on which the brushrests when the han'imet: carriage is tie-clutched from the sha i't occpviug the. idle position as shown in 1, i and 3. Segment No. it) is con-.a to battery, through the tie-clutching 4:9 and keyboard locking magnet48 .b in series. nected to the key locking magnet is. the

remaining segments may. be connected to.

earthed battery l5. while its front contact is 'connected'to thenegative treminal of an earthcd-battery lflh. The relay 51 is-adapted tobe energized by the engagement of any of the contact springs 1.1andscrews ill in the transmitter.

T his transmitter is adapted to be used in connection with any suitablereceiving apparatus and distribater which may be driven in synchronismwith the transmitter by well known means. At the beginning of a mes:sage, as previously stated, the disks '6 and 7 are rotatingcontinuously, and the hammer carriage is resting in the position showninFig. S. the pressing of the starting button the he: s of the keyboardare unlocked and thecircait of the starting magnetlti of the transmitteris closed' at'thesprings 4-6 end :7. The magnet releases the pin andpermits the hanner carriage to rotate about a quarter of a. re ointicuibackward or until the pawlfii disengages itself from the guide plate 3"slips into; engagement with the scape ring, The hammer carriage nowbegins to rotate forward with the pin disks. Upon the operation of oneor more of the characterireys of the keyboard. one or more of thesprings 462 are operated, each one closing a circuit from earth throughits front contact and corresponding.relay 43 to battery. The relay e3 onenergizing closes a locking circuit for itself through its contact andthe contact of relay 53, and during its encrgization since spring 56must engage spring before the latter is pressed away from spring transnits a. momentary impulse from battery through the front con- 68 3 tactof spring 42, mfii, and 5?), spring merit magnet 36.. The in mg andcleener izing pt,

aiid hammer carrier flare-break springs 5 and; escapeon energizthe backone i1 A'L Ans. Go. merewhile' the segment No. 19 is con-* l*ase of thekey the spring (or springs) 42 which was operated. on engaging its backcontact as shonn in Fig. ll). completes a cir- .suit thron;h the contact.37 of the locked relay 43. its corresponding hammer magnet :21

and relay 5.3. The relay .123 on operatingunlocks all the relays 43which are in an energizcd position. The number ofthe magnets 21 whichare engaged depend on the. number of springs 4'2 which are operated bythe key pressed. Each magpet 21 on energizing shifts one of the pinsfrom the position 8* to position 8. ltwill he noted that the five pinswhich are opposite the setting. hammers in any givenpositions of thecarriageare' situated in difi'er'ent circular rows as well as indiii'erent radial rows and the arms 19' are. so- Spaced that these fivebins ha their respective springs 11 one after the. other in succession.Each pin passes its spring at the instant that the receiving(listributer connects a corresponding receiving device to the line atthe. receiving end and if the pin is in normal position. the relay 5115' not operated and the receiver receives a positive impulse. If,however. the pin is in its operated position as it passes the spring 11,the'reiay is operated and the receiver receives anegaiire impulse. Thereason "the tire pins that are opposite the hammers in each position arein diil'er'ent radial rows, instead of in. the same row. is tosimplifythe' construction of the hammers and arms 9 and prevent thecongestion of apparatus that won d be necessary if the hammers Wereallarranged along a "adial line. It will .be noted that the transmittingposition of the ins is approximately a'quarter of a revoution in advanceof the positionin which the-hammers are first clutc-hedwith the shaft.This provides for the keyboard being operated at a slightly slower speedthan that at which the characters are transmitted. In practice however,it is -found that the keyboard isgenerally operated at a faster ratethan the characters are transmitted. In this case the hammer carriagewill be stepped back by the magnet 36 faster than itis advanced bytheshaft. This can take Ward almost to the normal osition when the brush onthe commutator ev'ice Will engage segment No. 19 and close the circuitof the keyboard locking magnet 48 and prevent the furtheroperation ofthe keys. After a few characters have been transmitted, the.

keyboard may be unlocked by the depression of the starting key andthefendv of the message the' ha'mmers .ad-

varies with vthe shait. to a position one step I the message pro-'beyond their normal resting position, the brush of the commutator,device engages the segment No. which energizes the keyboard lockingmagnet 4:8 and de-clutching magnet 49'. The magnet 49 withdraws the pawl37 from the scope ring 27 and as the locking pin in the gear wheel; 24is now a short starting key again before proceeding.

From, the above description it will be noted that the setting hammersare advanced from one set of pins to the next on the depression of akey, and the pins are set by the hammers on the release of the key. ThisI provides for canceling the setting of the pins set by the last key incase .of error. i To cancel an error the canceling key'in the keyboardis pressed. This energizes all five of the hammer magnets butopens thecircuit of the escapement magnet 36 at springs 4.4 and 1 5. Thisprevents the hammers being stepped back and, consequently, all five pinsof the group which were erroneously set are shifted to their, alternateposition so that when they reach the transmitting position, fivenegative impulses will be transmitted, and it is usual to arrange thereceiver so that five impulses of the same polarity do not print acharacter.

It will be .evident that a plurality of transmitters may beconnected 'upwith a distributer ofknown type in such a way thatthe impulses from thedifferent ones are sent to line -1l1 succession and thereby provide forthe transmission of's'everal mes sages simultaneously,- In Fig. 11 thesets of springs of four transmitters are shown at diagrammatically 1011, 10 11 .10

11 10 ,11 and anyof these' four sets of,

springs may be closed by the operation of the pins 8, as'beforedescribed, to connect the several springs 10 to earth. The rotat-- 121gbrush arm of the distributor, uponengag.

ing the contacts connected to these earthed springs, would sendimpulsesof current to line in succession, which would energize the linerelay '51 a corresponding number of" times to operate theapparatusassociated therewith in the manner described.

Further, it will be evident that if the group of pins in the transmitterare a sufficient distance apart and "the disks of the:

different transmitters driven at the same speed, but slightly out ofphase with each other, the impulses from a plurality of differenttransmitters may be delivered. in regular successien without the use ofa separate assume be sent to line in' succession and the distributor atthe receiving end of the line would be arran' 'edto connect the line inI succession to four receivers. In this way four or other number ofmessages may be transmitted simultaneously.

In printing telegraph systems of thetype referred to herein. it is theusual practice to maintain synchronism between the sending and receivingapparatus by means-of'correction currents sent out from the sendingstation .at regular intervals. The usual practice in a four channelcircuit, for example, is to divide the time of the complete cycle intotwenty-four equal parts, of which twenty are utilized for actuallytransmitting signals (four groups of five each) and the remaining fourare used to send out correcting currents for correcting the position ofthe brushes of the. receiving distributor. T his maybe done with thetransmitter described hercin by fitting its disk with suitable pins toengage with a spring and send out the correcting currents, which usuallycomprise two positive'and two negative im pulses. after each set ofsignal impulses has been'completed; In multiple channel worling only oneof the transmitters would need to be fitted with these extra pins forsending the correcting impulses. Other known methods of maintainingsynchronism may 1 also be employed.

While one particular embodiment of the invention and controlling circuitare shown herein, it is to be understood that the general principles ofthe-invention are not confined to the specific construction shown, but

certain modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

-What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. For atelegraph system, a signal storin and transmitting devicecomprising-pins w ich are set so as todetermine the letter transmittedand a devicefor setting the pins 5 which is moved, after-the setting ofeach pin or groupof pins, which determines the trans-- mission of aletter, to the next pin or group of pins to set up the next-letter.

For a teleg'raph system, a signal storing and transmitting devicecomprising pins which are setup so as to determine the lettertransmitted and a device for setting the pins which is moved after thesetting 0 each pin or group of pins, whic determines the 3tI'RIISHHSSIOH of a letter, to the next pin'o'r group of pins to set upthe next letter, said pins being arranged on one oninore' closed curvesand means for moving the part-of the setting device which operates thepins in a closed curve.

3. Far a telegraph system, a' signal storing and transmitting devicecomprising pins which are set so-as toidetermine the letter transmittedand a device for setting the pins which is moved after the setting ofeach pin or group of pins, which determines the transmission of aletter, to the nextpin or group of pins to setup the next letter,contact springs and a carrier for said pins togather With means formoving said carrier to cause the pins to engage the contact springs tovdetermine the letter to be transmitted.

4. F03? a telegraph system-a signal storing and transmitting device.comprising pins which are set so as to determine the letter to v 2 .betransmitted, a rotatable carrier for said ins, a device for settin 'theins means for moving said last named device with said carthe. precedingwhich static-nary electremagnets are arranged to operate toast the pins,the number,

rier and ifcrsiiifting it from one group of ins to the next after. eachsetting operation E 5. For a telegra' h system, a signal storing andtransmitting" evice as claimed in any of iaims and inw'hich the pins arearranged on a, rotatable carrier and in of electromagnets being the sameas the max- 'imum' number of pins which it may be re quired to 'set forthe transmission of a letter,

"and stationary electromagnets arranged to determine the setting of saidpins.

6. For a telegraph system, a signal storing and transmitting devicecomprising pins which are set so as to determine the letter transmittedand a device tor setting the pins all which is moved after the settingof each pin or group of pins, which determines the transmission of aletter, to the next pin orgroup of pins to set up the next letter, saidpins being arranged to send imp ulses successw'ely carrying a pluralityof groups of pins, each I for the transmission of eachlett'er.

7. For a telegraph system,-a signal storing and transmitting devicecomprising a carrier letter being set up by setting the pins in a group;thepins determining the transmission of the signals by being movedto'engage electric contacts, and a device for moving the pins to setthem up, which device is moved step'-by-step from one group of pins tothe next after each letter is set up.

8. For a telegraph system, a signal storing and transmitting'device, thesignal storing devicecomprising a carrier carrying a number of groups ofpins which can be set to determine the letter to be transmitted,

movable setting members adapted to. set the f pins in a. group, -themovable setting mend hers being carried in, a carriage which is movedafter the setting-up of each letter to be ready to engage the'ncxt group.of pins,

by moving the carrier for the groups of pins -so as to cause them toengage electric contact.

9. For atelegraph system, asi'gnal storing andtransmitting devicecomprising a plu-- rality of'pins carried in a rotatable carrier andadapted to be set so as to transmit the signals by engaging stationarycontact springs, setting members mounted in ai-otatable cai'riage whichcan rotatewith the to tatable pin carrier but which is rotated in theoppgsite direction to the direction of rotation of the pin carrier on'thesetting up of each letter so as tdbe' ready'to set the pins in thenext group.

10. For a telegraph system storing and transmitting device comprising adisk mountedon a rotatable shaft, pins mounted "in said disk with theiraxes parallel to the axis of the shaft'and movable parallel to saidaxis, hammers carried in aframe on the transmission of the signals being'eii'ected said shaft and movable parallel to said shaft, sa'id hammersbeing moved by the engagement of the armatures of electromagnets, eachof said armatures being adapted to move one of said hamers.

11. For a telegraphsystem asignal storing and transmitting devicecomprising a (llSk mounted on a rotatable shaft, pms' mounted insaiddisk with'their axes parallel to the axis-of the shaft and -movableparallel to said axis, hammers carried in 111 frame on said shaft'andmovable parallel to said shaft, said hammers being moved by theengagement of'rhe a'rmatures ,of electromagnets, each of said armaturesbeing adaptedto move one, of said hammers, a clutch and ratchetmechanism whereby the hammer frame is clutched with the shaft so "as torotate with the disk'but allows of relative' movement of the hammercarriage with respect'to the disk. I

I 12. For a telegraph system, a signal storing and transmitting devicecomprising a carrier carrying a plurality of groups of pins, each letterbeing set up by setting pins inagroup, the pins determining the transmlssion of the signals by being moved to T engage electric contacts, anda device for moving. the pins to .set them up, which de-f vice 'is moveds'tep-by step 'from one group of pinsto the next after each letter isiset up, keys for controlling the setting of, the

' pins comprising a cancelingkey and'means. to prevent'the settingdevice movin from one group-of pins'to another when t e'canc'eling keyis'operatedL- 13. For a telegraph system a plurality of, signal storingand transmitting devices, each comprising a plurality of sets of'pinscarriediby arotary carrier, means for setting ,said pins andnieans forrotating all saidpin carriers at the same speed butout of phase witheach other so as to allow of multiple channel working.

l-l. For a telegraph system a plurality of signal storing andtransmitting devices, each comprising a plurality of sets of pinscarried by a rotating earrier, contact springs zulaptedto be engagedbysaid pins to transmit impulses, setting hammers for said pins, means forrotating, said hammers with said carrier and for stepping them backwardfrom one set of pins to the next between setting operations, and meansfor rotating all said pin carriers at the-same speed but out of phasewith each other so as to allow of multiple channel Working.

15. For a telegraph system, a plurality of 'iesee'm signal storing andtransmitting devices comprising pins which are set so as to determinethe letter transmitted and a tlevioe for setting the pins Which is movedafter theset ting'of each pin or group of pins, which determines thetransmission of e letter, to the next pin or group of pins to set lipthe next letter, and means for driving said signal storing andtransmitting devices at the same speed but out of phase with each otherso as to allow'of multiple channel working.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses. SIDNEY REYNELL SMITH.

Witnesses:

FRANK CHARLES ToMLms, CHARLES EDWARD Fos'rER.

